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Visitor
Information
Jefferson County carries a feeling of the old west to those who visit. In the heart of Jefferson County is the county seat, Boulder. It is the state's 49th largest city with a population of about 1300. Boulder is half way between the state capital of Helena and the mining town of Butte. It is located on Interstate 15 at State Highway 69. Just south of Boulder, off Highway 69, is the "Not Quite a Ghost Town" of Elkhorn. Its quiet streets watch many visitors come to see the old buildings and artifacts from its boom time of the Late 1880's. Just off I-15 at exit 160 south of Boulder are the remote ghost towns of Comet and Gray Eagle. Each had an active mine for its support during their boom days. All around the towns of Boulder and Basin, (9 miles south of Boulder on I-15), are old log and rock buildings from a time when mineral mining was the wealth of the territory. Many of these buildings are still in use. Some have been renovated for more modern use and comfort.
South of Boulder on Highway 69 is the Boulder Hot Springs Bed and Breakfast, formerly The Diamond S Ranchotel, with its natural hot water pools. It carries an atmosphere of a time during prohibition and the roaring 20's. The Hot Springs was once a hot spot for the politicians and well to do citizens around the Helena area.
Around the Boulder and Basin area are Health Mines, which include the Free Enterprise, High Ore, Sunshine, Merry Widow, and Earth Angel. Thousands of people come each year to these mines for relief from arthritis, emphysema, bursitis, cataracts, and many other ailments. Some people have been coming for as many as 25 years. People come from all over the United States and Canada to sit in these mines and gain relief from their pain and poorly functioning body parts.
East of Whitehall is the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. Don't miss a visit while you are in the Boulder and Whitehall area.
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